REVIEW: The White Princess (Philippa Gregory)

Book: The White Princess

Author: Philippa Gregory

My rating: 3/5.

Premise: When Henry Tudor picks up the crown of England from the mud of Bosworth field, he knows he must marry the Princess Elizabeth of York to unify a country divided by war for nearly two decades. But his bride is still in love with his slain enemy, Richard III—and her mother and half of England dream of a missing heir, sent into the unknown by the White Queen. While the new monarchy can win power, it cannot win hearts in an England that plots for the triumphant return of the House of York.

Yet again, another cracking book from Philippa Gregory. With so much of Tudor history dominated by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, it was really interesting to read about the early years. I'd assumed that the Battle of Bosworth marked the end of the unrest in England, so reading about the uprisings and conspiracies surrounding the lost princes was new to me. I was slightly conflicted about how Henry VII and his mother are portrayed - I had great respect for his mother after reading The Red Queen. One frustrating thing was that, unlike the previous female leads, Elizabeth isn't involved in much of the politics and scheming. In fact, she's often in the dark for a few chapters and then Henry will have an outburst. Maybe that's how she was, but I hoped for a more feisty protagonist. On the whole, another good installment in the series!